


Who Let The Dogs Out?

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic [121]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Case Fic, Community: ushobwri, Gen, Murder, Prompt Fill, Prostitution, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 20:10:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8415049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: LJ Comment Fic for Shapeshifters prompt: Lucifer (tv), Lucifer Morningstar+Chloe Decker, Investigating what looks like an animal attack proves to be something else entirely
In which Lucifer solves the case, but Chloe would never believe him if he told her what really happened.





	

“Well, this is suitably gory.”

Lucifer sidled into the apartment, which was full of crime scene techs and uniformed officers. He only had eyes for Chloe, who was squatted down beside the body with that solemn expression she wore too often.

“The human body holds roughly five liters of blood,” Lucifer said conversationally. “I don’t think this poor chap has a drop left in him.”

The main living space of the apartment was literally dripping with blood. It was everywhere, on every surface. Lucifer was glad he’d slipped the booties on over his calfskin shoes.

“Animal attack,” Chloe said.

“Yes, I can see that.” He took a cursory glance at the victim’s injuries. Throat literally ripped out, spine exposed, and very evident bite marks. Boring. “Did I miss our transfer to animal control? Are we being punished for something?”

Chloe got to her feet and gave Lucifer one of her patented quelling looks. “Witness said she heard the victim and two other men having a heated argument, and then what sounded like a dog. I figure the men brought the dog and set it on our victim.”

“See? Now that’s much more interesting.”

“It gets better!” Ella, the diminutive new medical examiner in the employ of the LAPD, beamed up at Lucifer. She had an over-abundance of bright-eyed enthusiasm, which was unusual for someone in her particular occupation.

“Do tell,” Lucifer said encouragingly.

“The bite marks? They’re partially cauterized.”

“Hold on.” Mindful of his cuffs, Lucifer squatted down to take a closer look at the body. Did he detect a hint of sulfur? Bollocks.

“Could be a drug deal gone wrong,” Chloe postulated. “Or maybe one of the local loan sharks is moving up from breaking fingers.”

Lucifer stood up and smoothed his hands over his pants. “You seem to have this well in hand, Detective. I’ll just be going.”

“What? Going where? We have a case!”

It was adorable, the way Chloe continued to be surprised when Lucifer walked out on a crime scene. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t come back round once his business was completed.

“I have to see a demon about a dog,” he said with a parting wave.

*o*o*o*

“You’re sure?” Maze asked.

“Would I be here otherwise?”

She just raised an eyebrow.

“Fine. I’m not completely certain,” Lucifer said grudgingly. “But all the signs are there and it bears looking into, don’t you think?”

“So long as we can wrap this up by three. I have an appointment.”

By the gleam in her eye and the purr in her voice, Lucifer could safely assume that Maze’s appointment would be of the naked variety. And possibly include leather straps and one or more of the devices she brought out of Hell when they left. Odd, how many humans sought out torture while they were still on the Earthly plane. 

“Where do you think they’ve gone?”

Maze looked thoughtful. “They’ve spilled blood. One human? It won’t be enough. They’ll want more. More blood, more violence.”

Lucifer nodded. “I think I know just the place.”

*o*o*o*

Hector wasn’t an easy man to find. The nature of his business meant he had to move around quite frequently to avoid run-ins with law enforcement. Fortunately, Lucifer had a direct line. Because the nature of _his_ business meant knowing what his guests wanted and providing it.

“This place is disgusting,” Maze said, her face a mask of disdain.

“You can’t buy this kind of atmosphere,” Lucifer replied.

The house Hector was using was in the hills of Los Feliz. It had been the site of a gruesome triple murder in the forties, the stigma keeping it empty for decades. No doubt the locals had plenty of ghost stories to tell about it. Lucifer was more concerned about the roof falling in on his head.

“Hector!” he called out as he crossed the threshold. “¿Dónde estás?”

“Señor Morningstar!” Hector appeared, still wearing his bathrobe. Not unlike Lucifer himself, Hector’s businesses operated solely under the cover of darkness.

“It’s too early for this,” Maze griped. She held her hand under her nose. “What is that smell?”

“Hector thinks eating raw garlic purifies him, but we know better, don’t we?” Lucifer looked down at Hector, using his size to his advantage. “I need your help, my smelly friend. Did you see anything odd last night? Any newcomers that stood out, perhaps? Or an unusual dog?”

“Sí! There was a dog. I never seen such a dog. Big and black, his eyes looking red like un demonio.” Hector crossed himself. “We lost our best three fighting dogs. And then the man came back with a friend for the bare knuckles, and they fought each other.”

“Interesting. Who won?”

“No one, Señor. They beat on each other and beat on each other, but no-one falls down. They just bleed and smile, and then they leave.”

“Do you know where they went?”

Hector nodded. “They wanted women. I sent them to Verona.”

“Great. Can we go now?” Maze asked. 

“Yes. You’ve been very helpful, Hector.” Lucifer pulled out his money clip and peeled off several hundreds. “For the dogs you lost.”

“Gracias!” 

He sidestepped a garlic-infused hug and followed Maze out the door. “Is no-one minding the store? Just because I’ve gone doesn’t mean everyone else stops working.”

“There’s no strong leadership. I told you that before your ill-advised departure.” Maze slid into the passenger seat of the convertible. “The hounds need a handler.”

“Yes, thank you. I’m well aware of that.” Lucifer turned the key and gunned the engine. “Let’s hope there aren’t any dead prostitutes. I haven’t enough cash on me for that.”

*o*o*o*

Verona ran a seedy no-tell motel in K-town. It wasn’t the kind of place that Lucifer patronized – women came to him, he never had to go looking – nor did he often send any of his guests there. But it paid to know everyone in the business, and so he was tangentially aware of Verona and her girls.

They were Korean girls primarily, those not young or pretty enough to work as _doumi_ girls. They utilized a handful of the motel rooms for paying customers, the rest of the rooms rented out by the hour at Verona’s discretion.

Maze gave Lucifer a hard look. “You really do have friends in low places, don’t you.”

“Verona’s hardly a friend,” Lucifer protested. 

The woman herself was manning the front desk, wearing a red sequined dress that had long ago lost most of its sequins. Verona was sixty if she was a day, the plunging neckline of her ancient dress displaying sagging breasts and mottled skin. She was mixed race, Asian genes showing only in the shape of her eyes.

“Hundred for the first hour,” Verona said, her eyes on the monitor set just blow the top of the counter. “Seventy-five every hour after.”

Lucifer walked around the counter, unsurprised to see that Verona was watching feeds from each of her special rooms.

“I’d like to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you’re watching for safety concerns, but we both know that’s not true.” Lucifer squinted and leaned closer to the screen. “Is that an egg beater?”

“Get your ass back on the other side!” Verona came up out of her chair like a red fury, the long sausage curls on her very obvious wig bouncing. 

“You have no idea how often I’ve heard that,” Lucifer said conversationally. “Room seventeen, Maze.”

“You stay away from my girls!” 

Verona reached for the pistol under the counter, but Lucifer stopped her with a look. He allowed some of the flame to show in his eyes. 

“You move from this spot and my companion will cut out your eyes. And then you won’t be able to enjoy your pervy little shows anymore. Do we understand each other?”

Verona nodded jerkily, her own eyes wide with fear.

“Good girl. We’ll just collect up our friends and be on our way.”

Room seventeen was strewn with bodies, but Lucifer was almost certain they were all still alive. Verona must’ve called in some extra girls for the occasion, because there were eight of them. Four were sprawled across one of the beds, one was lying on the floor in a nest made from the bedspread and a pillow, one was curled up in the chair by the door, one was passed out in the bathtub, and the last was still mostly conscious and in the midst of being spit roasted between two large, muscled men who looked enough alike to be twins.

The whole room reeked of sex and sweat and musk, and Lucifer had to take a moment to recall why they were there.

“Maculo! Merus! Heel!”

He imbued his human voice with as much of his power as possible, and the effect was immediate. The men pulled away so abruptly that the woman collapsed on the bed, her hips still gyrating. By the time they made it to Lucifer’s side they were in their other form: massive dogs, one pure black and the other spotted through with gray.

“That’s my good boys,” Lucifer said. He had a hand on each of their shaggy heads. “Who let you out of Hell?”

There was no answer, just lolling tongues and wagging tails.

“Well, you found your Hell hounds,” Maze said. “Now what are you going to do with them?”

*o*o*o*

Lux was filled to capacity, bodies writhing on the dance floor and up on the stage. The liquor was flowing freely, and Lucifer watched it all from the second floor balcony, a pleased smile on his face. Humans had an amazing capacity to let themselves go, to just be in the moment and let it rule them. He envied them that sometimes.

“So that’s new,” Chloe shouted above the music. She joined him at the railing, drink in hand but still looking like an on-duty cop; it was her default setting.

Lucifer grinned. “Yes, they are quite popular, aren’t they?”

Maculo and Merus were in the middle of the dance floor, women hanging off both of them. He’d already been approached by several who wanted to pay for some alone time with the hounds. The hounds, horny things that they were, were more than willing.

“That’s one step away from public indecency.”

“You should see them on stage. They’re particularly skilled at shibari. You wouldn’t think they’d be good at the delicate knots, I mean, look at the size of their hands!”

“I don’t want to know any more about that,” Chloe said. Lucifer could tell she was lying, but he played along. “Where’d you find them?”

“They’re old friends of mine. They were recently unemployed, so I’m helping them out.”

“Very noble of you. In case you were wondering, I’ve hit a dead end on our homicide.”

Lucifer nodded. Of course she had. “No luck tracking down the dog owners then?”

Chloe frowned. “No. And whoever they were, they left no trace at the crime scene. That smacks of premeditation.”

“And what of the victim?”

“Turns out he was a person of interest in a sex trafficking case.”

“Justice was meted out. I approve.”

Chloe knocked back the rest of her drink. “You know it’s not that simple.”

For Lucifer it was. Some things really were just black or white.

Raucous whistling and hooting drew his gaze back to the dance floor. Maculo and Merus had a woman between them, and if they hadn’t all still had their clothes on it would’ve been quite the sexy spectacle. Or perhaps it was, judging by the lusty looks he could see on the faces of the nearby guests, men and women alike.

“Lucifer, that’s really inappropriate.”

“What can I say?” He turned and winked at Chloe. “They really are a pair of hounds.”

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** First time writing Lucifer, so I apologize for anything that I got wrong. Ditto on the Latin. When I was trying to think of a good name for the Hell Hounds, I decided on the names used in a play my mother was in once upon a time: Spot and Plain. ::grins:: I did the best I could with Google as my co-pilot.
> 
> In addition, this is a second entry for [Monster Fest at You Should Be Writing](http://ushobwri.livejournal.com/128683.html), for Shapeshifter Day.


End file.
